Rigel: Orion's Brightest Star Rigel: Orion's Brightest Star By Elizabeth Howell, Space.com Contributor | September 19, 2013 06:16pm ET MORE Light from the star Rigel reflects off the dust composing the Witch Head Nebula. Credit: Rogelio Bernal Andreo / NASA Rigel is a blue supergiant that is the brightest star in the constellation Orion (the Hunter). The star is only 10 million years old, compared to the sun's 4.5 billion, and due to its measured size and brightness it is expected to end in a supernova one day. It also has two known companions, Rigel B and Rigel C. The star is variable and is considered an Alpha Cygni-type star. (Alpha Cygni is the scientific name for Deneb, the prototype star for this kind of variability.) Its luminosity is so bright that it shines and scatters in an adjacent nebula, called the Witch Head Nebula,which is about 40 Earth-sun distances or astronomical units away.

In science fiction, Rigel's name is on a a number of planets in the Star Trek universe, is mentioned in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and also features in a number of novels, computer games and comic books. Rigel before modern astronomy Rigel's name comes from an Arabic phrase, Rijl Jauzah al Yusrāʽ. It means "the left leg of the Jauzah," according to Richard Hinckley Allen's "Star Names: Their Lore and Meaning." It is also sometimes translated as "the left leg of the giant," reportedly referring to the constellation Orion , of which Rigel forms a part. Rigel is more properly known as Beta Orionis. Scandinavian folklore said that Rigel indicated one of the large toes of Orwandil; the thunder god Thor broke off the other toe when it was frost-bitten, according to a report recorded by Allen. In Japanese culture, Rigel is sometimes called Genji Boshi and a bright red star in Orion — Betelgeuse — has the name of Heike Boshi.

Those names hearken back to the Heian era (794-1192) in Japan, according to an online account by Steve Renshaw and Saori Ihara . (A later version of the account was published in the "Kyoto Journal" in 2000.) "The legendary war that brought the somewhat artistic and gentle Heian era to a close took place between the Taira (Heike) and Minamoto (Genji) families," the authors wrote. "The colors of Taira were red, and the colors of the Minamoto family were white. Ultimately, the Minamoto (Rigel) family won the war and moved the capital to Kamakura, ushering in an era of Samurai warriors and leading to centuries of little true peace ... These two bright stars of red and white still do battle with the steepes of the belt holding them apart." Though they look serene and silent from our vantage on Earth, stars are actually roiling balls of violent plasma. Test your stellar smarts with this quiz. 0 of 10 questions complete Star Quiz: Test Your Stellar Smarts Though they look serene and silent from our vantage on Earth, stars are actually roiling balls of violent plasma.

Test your stellar smarts with this quiz. 0 of Start Over | More Quizzes Locating Rigel Rigel is today known as a class B supergiant. It's close to zero magnitude in Earth's sky, making it a bright star . But Rigel is also intrinsically luminous, shining with the equivalent light of 85,000 suns, according to astronomer Jim Kaler . Its radius is 73 times that of the sun. Rigel's location is: Right ascension: 5 hours 14 minute 32.3 seconds Declination: -8 degrees 12 minutes 6 seconds Rigel to astronomers Astronomers believe the star is about 10 million years old and that later in its life, it will likely transform into a red supergiant (just like Betelgeuse) and eventually explode into a supernova, Kaler added. "If and when it does go, it would appear to us as bright as a quarter moon," Kaler wrote. Rigel also has two distant stellar companions, Rigel B and Rigel C – a binary system.

At the ninth magnitude, the combined light of these stars would usually be enough for most telescopes to pick up, but they are too close to the bright Rigel to be easily visible. Rigel's bright starlight also bounces off a nebula some 40 light-years away, as shown in a picture published in 2012 on NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day website . "The blue color of the Witch Head Nebula and of the dust surrounding Rigel is caused not only by Rigel's intense blue starlight, but because the dust grains scatter blue light more efficiently than red," NASA wrote. "The same physical process causes Earth's daytime sky to appear blue, although the scatterers in Earth's atmosphere are molecules of nitrogen and oxygen." Rigel in science fiction The name "Rigel" is a popular planetary name in "Star Trek," with references to it popping up in multiple versions of the series. The earliest mention of it was in the original 1960s-era pilot, "The Cage", which referred to Rigel VII.

Although that episode did not actually air until the 1980s, Rigel VII and much of the footage from 'The Cage" was used in the two-part episode, "The Menagerie." A few other uses of Rigel: In Douglas Adams' "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy," Rigel (presumably it is Rigel, as the name "Orion Beta" is used) was the site of madranite mining belts. Several computer games of the 1980s and 1990s, such as "Rescue at Rigel,""Rigel's Revenge" and"Duke Nukem II." A Season 2 episode of "The Simpsons," "Hungry Are the Damned", where the family is temporarily kidnapped by a couple of aliens from Rigel IV. In comic book series such as "Justice League," "Thor," "Transformers" and "Monty." Author Bio Elizabeth Howell, Space.com Contributor Elizabeth Howell is a contributing writer for Space.com who is one of the few Canadian journalists to report regularly on space exploration. She is pursuing a Ph.D. part-time in aerospace sciences (University of North Dakota) after completing an M.Sc.

(space studies) at the same institution. She also holds a bachelor of journalism degree from Carleton University. Besides writing, Elizabeth teaches communications at the university and community college level. To see her latest projects, follow Elizabeth on Twitter at @HowellSpace . Elizabeth Howell, Space.com Contributor on Latest on Rigel: Orion's Brightest Star Rigel in Orion is blue-white | Brightest Stars | EarthSky Rigel in Orion is blue-white By Larry Sessions in Brightest Stars | January 7, 2017 Blue-white Rigel, in the constellation Orion, is one of the brightest stars in the night sky. It’s about twice as hot, and 40,000 times brighter, than our sun. Image via Fred Espenak/astropixels.com The beautiful blue-white star Rigel is in the constellation Orion the Hunter. This constellation is one of the easiest-to-spot of all star patterns, and Rigel is one of the brightest stars in the night sky. Follow the links below to learn more about the star Rigel. Rigel in history and mythology. Rigel in Orion How to see star Rigel in constellation Orion.

The star Rigel is easy to spot, in part because it’s so bright and also because of its distinctive blue-white color. Plus this star graces a lower corner of one of the sky’s most distinctive constellations, Orion the Hunter. You can catch Orion in the east before dawn in late summer, but on January evenings Orion is riding at its highest in the mid-evening sky. Look for Orion high in the south on these Northern Hemisphere winter evenings. By early March, Orion – with blue-white Rigel in its midst – is high in the south as soon as the sun sets. By early May, it is setting before the sky has a chance to get really dark. To find Rigel, look first for its constellation Orion. You’ll look first for three stars in a short, straight line. These stars mark Orion’s Belt. A line drawn downward at a right or 90-degree angle from Orion’s Belt takes you to Rigel. For comparison, draw the line upward and you come to Betelgeuse , with a distinctive orangish tinge. Do not confuse Rigel with Sirius , which is farther to the east and farther south. Sirius is similar in appearance, but significantly brighter than Rigel.

Blue-white Rigel via Clark Planetarium Science of star Rigel. We could not live as close to Rigel as we do to our sun, because its surface temperature is much hotter, about 19,000 degrees F (11,000K) in contrast to about 10,000 degrees F for the sun. Overall, Rigel about 40,000 times brighter than our local star. Earth would need to be about 200 times farther away, or about 5 times as far as Pluto, to bear life in orbit around Rigel. Even then the light would not be the same, as much would be at higher, bluer, wavelengths. Counting all its radiation (not just visible light, but infrared, ultraviolet and so on), Rigel is 66,000 times more powerful than the sun. With such enormous energy, you might be surprised to find that it has only 17 times more mass, and 70 times the width, of our sun. Yet Rigel is not one of the galaxy’s largest stars, as the great video above, by Jon S. on YouTube , shows.

At magnitude 0.18, Rigel is the seventh brightest star in the heavens, the fifth as viewed from North America. It is a blue supergiant star, designated as type B8Ia, some 773 light-years from Earth (by Hipparcos data). In other words, the light you may see from Rigel some spring or winter night, started on its journey a least 250 years before Columbus stumbled upon the outskirts of the already populated North America in his failed attempt to sail to the Orient. Star atlases depict Rigel as the left foot of Orion the Hunter. Via the National Radio Astronomy Observatory Rigel in history and mythology. Historically, the brightest star in a constellation receives the designation Alpha, the second-brightest is Beta, and so on. This system isn’t used for Orion’s star, however. Instead, the red star Betelgeuse is Alpha Orionis, and Rigel is Beta. But Rigel is the brighter star. Go figure. This deviation from standard stellar designations might be because Betelgeuse is a variable star and has been known to at least approach Rigel in brilliance.

Rigel received the designation Beta Orionis from the German astronomer Johann Bayer in the early 1600s, who sought to systematize the naming conventions. It’s possible Betelgeuse actually was brighter around this time. Nowadays, Rigel outshines Betelgeuse, though. By the way, Rigel is also intrinsically brighter than Betelgeuse. If you were to put Rigel and Betelgeuse together at the same distance, Rigel would outshine mighty Betelgeuse by more than 400 percent. The name Rigel comes from an Arabic phrase frequently translated as The Left Foot of the Central One. Although Orion was depicted as a giant or warrior in many cultures, in the original Arabic it might have been reference to a black sheep with a white spot or spots. Thus in the original form, Rigel might have designated the left foot of a sheep! Now, however, many people know it as the left foot of Orion the Hunter. The mythology related to Rigel is sparse and unclear. Perhaps the most interesting connection is in Norse mythology, which sometimes identified Orion with Orwandil (also Orvandil, Aurvandil, Earendel and others).

According to some, Orwandil was traveling with his companion, the god Thor, when his big toe froze in an unfortunate river-crossing incident. Thor broke off the frozen digit and threw it into the sky, where it became the star we see as Rigel. In some variations, the Orwandil’s other big toe became the faint Alcor in Ursa Major. Rigel’s position is RA: 05h 14m 32.3s, dec: -08° 12′ 05.9″. Rigel The history of the star: Rigel from p.312 of Star Names , Richard Hinckley Allen, 1889. [A scanned copy can be viewed on this webpage ] Beta (β) Orion , Rigel, is a double star, the 7th brightest star in the sky, 0.3 and 8, both bluish white in the left foot of the Hunter (west foot).

Algebar and Elgebar are seen in poetry for this star, but it universally is known as Rigel, from Rijl Jauzah al Yusra, the Left Leg of the Jauzah (Jauzah was the Arabic title for Orion ), by which extended title the Arabians knew it after the word Jauzah had become a personal title; the modern name first appearing in the Alfonsine Tables of 1521. These say of it, in connection with Eridanus : "Lucida que est in pede sinistro: et est communis ei et aquae: et dicitur Algebar nominatur etiam Rigel." The Italian astronomer Riccioli (1598-1671) had Regel; the 17th century German astronomer and ephemeris creator Schickard, Riglon; and English writer on globes John Chilmead (circa 1639), Rigel Algeuze, or Algibbar.

The 10th century Persian astronomical writer Al Sufi gave the earlier popular name Ra'i al Jauzah, the Herdsman of the Jauzah (i.e. this star beta β, Rigel, is the Herdsman), whose camels were the stars alpha (α Betelgeuse ), gamma (γ Bellatrix ), delta (δ Mintaka ), and kappa (κ Saiph ); and Al Najid, the Conqueror, which also was given to alpha (α Betelgeuse ) and gamma (γ Bellatrix ). The 14th century Greco-Persian astronomer Chrysococca termed it (Greek) Pous didumon, the Foot of — i.e. next to — the Twins ( Gemini ); and the 17th century German astronomer Bayer, the Hebrew Kesil, of the constellation. The English astronomer Smyth (1788-1865) wrote that "independent of the "nautis infestus Orion " character of the constellation, Rigel had one of his own; for it was to the astronomical rising of this "marinus aster" in March, that St. Marinus and St.

Aster owe their births in the Romish calendar." He gave, however, no explanation of this, and these saints certainly are not familiar in any stellar connection. Possibly its "marine" character came from its location at the end of the River Eridanus , and from its being given in the various editions of the Syntaxis and in the Alfonsine Tables as common {p.313} to both constellations ( Orion and Eridanus ); although the supposed stormy character of the whole group in affecting navigation may have induced the epithet for Orion 's greatest star (although figured as beta Rigel is a larger star than alpha; Betelgeuse ). Astrologers said that splendor and honors fell to the lot of those who were born under it. In the Norsemen's astronomy Rigel marked one of the great toes of Orwandil, the other toe having been broken off by the god Thor when frost-bitten, and thrown to the northern sky, where it became the little Alcor of the Greater Bear ( Ursa Major ). [ Star Names , Their Lore and Meaning, Richard Hinckley Allen, 1889].

Rigel might be the part of Orion that was stung by the Scorpion. Orion boasted that he would exterminate all the animals on Earth, and was punished for his brazenness by the Goddess of Earth, Gaia, who sent a giant scorpion and ordered it to sting Orion. As mighty as Orion was, after only a brief battle, the scorpion managed to deliver the hunter a deadly sting on the heel, and believed by some to be in the position of this star which is also said to be in the heel : "On the western heel of Orion, the Hunter, rests brilliant Rigel." The astrological influences of the constellation Orion Legend: The giant Orion was created out of an ox-hide by the Gods, Jupiter, Neptune and Mercury, at the request of Hyreus who had entertained them. He was blinded by Oenopion (the name means "wine-faced") for having raped Merope, Oenopion's daughter, but recovered his sight by exposing his eyes to the rising sun. In consequence of his boast that he could slay any beast bred upon the earth the scorpion ( Scorpius ) was brought forth and Orion died from its sting.

[Robson * , p.55.] Influences: According to Ptolemy the bright stars with the exception of Betelgeuze and Bellatrix are like Jupiter and Saturn. It is said to give a strong and dignified nature, self-confidence, inconstancy, arrogance, violence, impiety, prosperity in trade and particularly by voyages or abroad, but danger of treachery and poison. It was thought by the Romans to be very harmful to cattle and productive of storms. By the Kabalists it is associated with the Hebrew letter Aleph and the 1st Tarot Trump "The Juggler." [Robson * , p.55.] The astrological influences of the constellation Orion given by Manilius: "Near neighbor to the Twins ( Gemini ), Orion may be seen stretching his arms over a vast expanse of sky and rising to the stars with no less huge a stride. A single light marks each of his shining shoulders, and three aslant trace the downward line of his sword: but three mark Orion's head, which is imbedded in high heaven with his countenance remote.

It is Orion who leads the constellations as they speed over the full circuit of heaven." [ Astronomica , Manilius, 1st century AD. p.35.] " Orion will fashion alert minds and agile bodies, souls prompt to respond to duty's call, and hearts which press on with unflagging energy in spite of every trial. A son of Orion's will be worth a multitude and will seem to dwell in every quarter of the city; flying from door to door with the one word of morning greeting, he will enjoy the friendship of all." [ Astronomica , Manilius, 1st century AD. p.305.] The astrological influences of the star Rigel According to Ptolemy and Lilly it is of the nature of Jupiter and Saturn, but later authors consider it favorable and similar to Jupiter and Mars. Alvidas likens it to Mercury Mars and Jupiter. It gives benevolence, honor, riches, happiness, glory, renown and inventive or mechanical ability.

[Robson * , p.197-198.] If Rigel is conjunct with the Sun, Moon, MC or Ascendant, quick rise in life is promised on account of a strong, inherent will power, love of action, and a lucky hand in enterprise. A continuous battle to retain an acquired position has to be waged. This fight at the same time stimulates an increase in vigor. Even in spite of unhelpful aspects, success and reaching the set aim can be secured by this powerful concentration. If however the native is not cautious or has an attack of weakness, failure and disappointments, a fall from success will follow. Tradition regarding the influence of Rigel is quite contradictory, implying again that the cosmogram must be fully analyzed. After the first world war, at the time of the first transatlantic flights, Elsbeth Ebertin noted a connection of Rigel to the Sun and Moon, in charts of several world record pilots, leading to sudden difficulties in the carrying out of planned enterprises resulting in failures to reach the set target.

[ Fixed Stars and Their Interpretation , Elsbeth Ebertin, 1928, p.32.] If Rising: Good fortune, preferment, riches, great and lasting honors. [Robson * , p.198.] If culminating: Great military or ecclesiastical preferment, anger, vexation, magnanimity, much gain acquired by labor and mental anxiety, lasting honors. [Robson * , p.198.] With Sun: Bold, courageous, insolent, unruly temper, hasty actions, bloodshed, many enemies, great good fortune, military success. [Robson * , p.198.] With Moon Much worry and disappointment, injuries to life and fortune, sickness, ill health or death to wife or mother. [Robson * , p.198.] With Mercury: Scientific, prominent position in connection with Mercurial matters or in science. [Robson * , p.198.] With Venus: Honors or favors in middle life, good and influential marriage especially if female. [Robson * , p.198.] With Mars: Unruly, ingenious occupied with mechanical matters, great military preferment.

[Robson * , p.198.] With Jupiter: Great legal or ecclesiastical preferment, many journeys, benefits from foreign affairs, favorable for marriage. [Robson * , p.198.] With Saturn: Benefits from elderly people, clergy and lawyers, just, discriminative, good for legacy and inheritance, domestic harmony, good health, long life. [Robson * , p.198.] With Uranus: Scientific, romantic, interested in antiquities, fame through historical or geological discoveries, probably in an unexplored country, friendships formed in a peculiar way abroad, many adventures and narrow escapes, early love disappointment, favorable for marriage after 30, death through some trivial accident abroad. [Robson * , p.198.] With Neptune: Kind, energetic, scholarly and active mind, position under Government or at the head of some learned institution, cautious, reserved, resourceful, prompt, diplomatic, occult interests, success, public prominence, domestic harmony, natural death.

[Robson * , p.199.] References: Rigel | star | Britannica.com Rigel Betelgeuse Rigel, also called Beta Orionis, one of the brightest stars in the sky, intrinsically as well as in appearance. A blue-white supergiant in the constellation Orion , Rigel is about 870 light-years from the Sun and is about 47,000 times as luminous. A companion double star , also bluish white, is of the sixth magnitude . The name Rigel derives from an Arabic term meaning “the left leg of the giant,” referring to the figure of Orion. Rigel and the Witch Head Nebula (right). NASA/STScl Digitized Sky Survey/Noel Carboni Learn More in these related articles: star (astronomy) any massive self-luminous celestial body of gas that shines by radiation derived from its internal energy sources. Of the tens of billions of trillions of stars composing the observable universe, only a very small percentage are visible to the naked eye. Many stars occur in pairs, multiple systems,...

constellation in astronomy, any of certain groupings of stars that were imagined—at least by those who named them—to form conspicuous configurations of objects or creatures in the sky. Constellations are useful in tracking artificial satellites and in assisting astronomers and navigators to locate... Orion (constellation) in astronomy, major constellation lying at about 5 hours 30 minutes right ascension and 0° declination, named for the Greek mythological hunter. Orion is one of the most conspicuous constellations and contains many bright stars. One of these, Betelgeuse, a variable star, is easily... 3 References found in Britannica Articles Assorted References stars of Orion (in Orion (constellation) ) External Links Rigel - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up) The seventh brightest star in the night sky is Rigel, or Beta Ori. It is one of the 57 stars of celestial navigation and the brightest star in the constellation Orion. Orion is situated on the celestial equator and is visible from almost any part of the world. Located approximately 10 degrees south of Orion’s belt, Rigel marks Orion’s left heel in depictions of the great hunter.

Rigel is situated diagonally across from the red supergiant star Betelgeuse, which marks Orion’s right shoulder. Rigel is at its highest in the sky on January 25 at 10:00 PM when viewed from the middle latitudes. Article History Corrections? Updates? Help us improve this article! Contact our editors with your feedback. MEDIA FOR: You have successfully emailed this. Error when sending the email. Try again later. Edit Mode Submit Tips For Editing We welcome suggested improvements to any of our articles. You can make it easier for us to review and, hopefully, publish your contribution by keeping a few points in mind. Encyclopædia Britannica articles are written in a neutral objective tone for a general audience. You may find it helpful to search within the site to see how similar or related subjects are covered. Any text you add should be original, not copied from other sources. At the bottom of the article, feel free to list any sources that support your changes, so that we can fully understand their context. (Internet URLs are the best.) Your contribution may be further edited by our staff, and its publication is subject to our final approval. Unfortunately, our editorial approach may not be able to accommodate all contributions.

Submit Thank You for Your Contribution! Our editors will review what you've submitted, and if it meets our criteria, we'll add it to the article. Please note that our editors may make some formatting changes or correct spelling or grammatical errors, and may also contact you if any clarifications are needed. Uh Oh There was a problem with your submission. Please try again later. Close Date Published: August 21, 2012 URL: Access Date: January 20, 2017 Share Rigel | Article about Rigel by The Free Dictionary Rigel | Article about Rigel by The Free Dictionary Also found in: Dictionary , Thesaurus , Wikipedia . Rigel (rī`jəl), bright star in the constellation Orion Orion, in astronomy, constellation located on the celestial equator. It is one of the most conspicuous and easily recognizable constellations in the entire sky. From ancient times it has been mentioned in the literature of many peoples and is traditionally depicted as the figure ..... Click the link for more information. ; Bayer designation Beta Orionis; 1992 position R.A. 5h14.2m, Dec. −8°13'.

A huge, blue supergiant of spectral class spectral class, in astronomy, a classification of the stars by their spectrum and luminosity. In 1885, E. C. Pickering began the first extensive attempt to classify the stars spectroscopically. ..... Click the link for more information. B8 Ia, Rigel has an intrinsic brightness about 40,000 times as luminous as that of the sun. It is an irregular variable star variable star, star that varies, either periodically or irregularly, in the intensity of the light it emits. Other physical changes are usually correlated with the fluctuations in brightness, such as pulsations in size, ejection of matter, and changes in spectral type, color, or ..... Click the link for more information. , with apparent magnitude magnitude, in astronomy, measure of the brightness of a star or other celestial object. The stars cataloged by Ptolemy (2d cent. A.D.), all visible with the unaided eye, were ranked on a brightness scale such that the brightest stars were of 1st magnitude and the dimmest stars ..... Click the link for more information.

ranging from 0.08 to 0.20, making it normally the seventh-brightest star in the sky. Its distance from the earth is nearly 1,000 light-years. Rigel is actually a four-star system consisting of a visual binary star binary star or binary system, pair of stars that are held together by their mutual gravitational attraction and revolve about their common center of mass. In 1650 Riccioli made the first binary system discovery, that of the middle star in the Big Dipper's handle, Zeta ..... Click the link for more information. , each component of which is itself a spectroscopic binary. Its name is from the Arabic word meaning "foot," indicating its position in the constellation. Rigel (rÿ -jĕl) (β Ori) A massive luminous and remote bluish-white supergiant that is very conspicuous and is the brightest star in the constellation Orion . It marks Orion's left foot. According to the Hipparcos catalog, its distance from the Sun is about 773 light-years (237 parsecs), though estimates have ranged between 900 and 1400 l.y.

If the Hipparcos measurement is correct, Rigel is at least 40 000 times as luminous as the Sun. Rigel's diameter is thought to equal 70 solar diameters. It is a member of a large association that includes the stars of Orion's Belt and the Orion nebula. There is a 7th-magnitude companion at a separation of 9″.5, which is itself a binary. mv : 0.18 (var.); Mv : –6.69(?); spectral type: B8 Iae. Rigel (also β Orionis), a star of visual stellar magnitude 0.1, one of the brightest stars in the sky; the brightest star in the constellation of Orion. Rigel is located at a great distance from the sun (330 parsecs) and has a high luminosity—81,000 times greater than the luminosity of the sun. Rigel is a visual binary star; its companion star, of stellar magnitude 7, is separated from Rigel by 10ʺ.

Rigel Information and Facts about the Star Rigel (primary) Orion : The Bright Left Foot Nothing But the Facts About Rigel written by: Andy Dziuba•edited by: Rebecca Scudder•updated: 7/20/2010 Rigel is a very bright star and very close to the Earth. This means that this triple star system is one of the brightest things in the sky. Learn all the facts about Rigel in this informative article. slide 1 of 3 Rigel is the brightest star in the constellation Orion, taking the position of the hunter's left foot. It outshines the other named star in the constellation, Betelgeuse , ranking as the 6th most luminous star in our night sky. The name Rigel was passed down to us from Arabic astronomers; a shortening of the phrase rijl al-jauza, meaning Left Foot of the Central One. The most striking characteristic of Rigel is how bright it is. From the Earth it appears so bright because it's relatively close to us at somewhere between 700 and 900 light years. On top of that, Rigel is one of the most intrinsically briilliant stars in this part of the galaxy.

The closest more powerful star is Naos, 1,100 light years away in the Puppis constellation. Direct measurement of Rigel's diameter tells us that it has a radius about 78 times bigger than our Sun and shines about 66,000 times more intensely. Our knowledge of stellar evolution puts Rigel as a blue supergiant. In its 10 million year lifetime, Rigel has been fusing hydrogen into helium at its core. At some point this inert helium core became too large to continue fusing, and the star started to swell and cool. Eventually Rigel will start to contract, and the helium core will get hot enough to start fusing. This helium flash will make the star swell up even bigger, turning it into a red supergiant. Elements in Rigel's core like carbon and neon will form until it finally explodes as a supernova . While it was thought that Rigel had a mass of 17 solar masses, certain observational and theoretical uncertainties make it possible that Rigel actually has a lower mass of around 14 solar masses.

This would mean that the star is already fusing helium after already having been a red giant, and has shrunken down and heated its surface to return to its blue supergiant phase. slide 2 of 3 How Many Stars? In 1831 the astronomer F.G.W. Struve observed that Rigel was actually a binary star system, designated as Rigel A and Rigel B. Rigel B is not a particularly faint star, having an apparent magnitude of 6.7, but Rigel A is 500 times brighter and only 2200 AU away and easily outshines its brother star. Using spectroscopy, modern astronomers were able to see that Rigel B itself was actually 2 main sequence stars that orbit each other every 9.8 days. There is also some speculation that Rigel might have a fourth star in its system. The 15th magnitude Rigel D would have an orbit of 11,500 AU and would take around 250,000 years to orbit the inner three stars. In the past, Rigel has been classified in the Orion OB1 association of blue stars, which are stars that formed around the Orion nebula .

In fact, Rigel appears to be too far from the Orion nebula to be an OB1. However, its age and path through space suggest that Rigel could have been formed in the Orion OB1 association, and ejected from the system. slide 3 of 3 A Tale of Two Stars: The Inside Story of Orion's Belt A Tale of Two Stars: The Inside Story of Orion's Belt By Joe Rao, SPACE.com Skywatching Columnist | February 14, 2012 02:43pm ET MORE Orion is the brightest and most beautiful of the winter constellations. Some of its stars, including Betelgeuse and Rigel, are among the brightest stars. Credit: Starry Night Software Standing upright and shining down upon Earth on these midwinter nights is the brightest and grandest of all the constellations: Orion, the Mighty Hunter. Currently, Orion can be easily seen by skywatchers with clear weather as a star pattern standing high in the southern sky at around 8 p.m. local time.

Three bright stars in line in the middle of a bright rectangle decorate Orion's belt , which points northward to the clusters of the Hyades and Pleiades of Taurus, and southward to the Dog Star, Sirius. Above and below the belt, we also find two immense stars, Rigel and Betelgeuse . Rigel (the "Left Leg of the Giant"), is a blue-white supergiant star, one of the rarest breeds in our galaxy. But with their enormous brilliance — up to 100,000 times as bright as the sun — blue-white supergiants remain conspicuous over great distances. In contrast, red supergiants like Betelgeuse ("The Armpit of the Giant") are gigantic bloated globes of cooler gas. If such a star were to replace the sun in the solar system, it might extend beyond Mars' orbit.

[ Gallery: The Splendor of the Orion Nebula ] Star at its prime Rigel is one of the most intrinsically luminous of all stars and one of the hottest, apparently just reaching the prime of its life in the time span of a star and literally "burning the candle at both ends." It has been computed that Rigel's luminosity is something like 57,000 times that of the sun. The star is about 773 light-years away. In stark contrast, bright red Betelgeuse is near the end of its career . It is located 522 light-years away, but does not shine with a steady light. Betelgeuse is a "pulsating" star , expanding and contracting spasmodically with a diameter that varies from 550 to 920 times that of the sun, but so irregular are these pulsations that no one can predict exactly when it will expand or contract.

In trying to describe Betelgeuse many years ago, Henry Neely, a lecturer at New York's Hayden Planetarium, once noted that it is "like an old man with his strength almost entirely spent, panting in the asthmatic decrepitude of old age." Stars produce their energy by fusing hydrogen into helium deep within their cores. When a star accumulates sufficient helium in its core, its energy output increases significantly, and it swells into a red giant or supergiant, like Betelgeuse. This is what Rigel will become in a few million years. In such stars, the core produces successively heavier elements to balance the incessant crush of gravity. But once the core begins creating iron, a star's days are numbered; the formation of elements heavier than iron consumes rather than produces energy. Eventually, since the core can no longer support the star's vast weight, it collapses, triggering a cataclysmic supernova explosion. Betelgeuse is in its final stage and could explode in only a few million years. Skywatcher Per-Magnus Heden wondered if the Vikings gazed at the same starry sky, which includes the constellation Orion at bottom, when he took this photo in Feb.

2011. Credit: P-M Hedén/TWAN Rigel | Define Rigel at Dictionary.com Rigel [rahy-juh l, -guh l] /ˈraɪ dʒəl, -gəl/ Spell a first-magnitude star in the constellation Orion. Origin of Rigel Arabic 1585-1595 1585-95; < Arabic rijl foot, so called from its position in the left foot of the figure of Orion Dictionary.com Unabridged Examples from the Web for Rigel Expand Out Around Rigel Robert H. Wilson He had known Betelgeuse years ago and personally had always preferred its neighbour Rigel, which had received no publicity at all. Tutors' Lane Wilmarth Lewis The latitude as ascertained by the stars Aldebaran and Rigel was 30 degrees 24 minutes 44 seconds South. The most advanced culture on Rigel's first planet is to be compared to the Italian cities during Europe's feudalistic era. Adaptation Dallas McCord Reynolds Astronomical Curiosities J. Ellard Gore British Dictionary definitions for Rigel Expand noun 1.

the brightest star, Beta Orionis, in the constellation Orion: a very luminous and extremely remote bluish-white supergiant, a double star. Visual magnitude: 0.12; spectral type: B8I Word Origin C16: from Arabic rijl foot; from its position in Orion's foot Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 Word Origin and History for Rigel Expand bright star in Orion, 1590s, from Arabic Rijl Jauzah al Yusra "the Left Leg of the Central One," from rijl "foot." Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper Rigel (rī'jəl) A very bright, bluish-white supergiant star in the constellation Orion. It is a binary star, with an average apparent magnitude of 0.12.

Scientific name: Beta Orionis. Our Living Language : The history of astronomy owes much to Arabic scientists of the Middle Ages, who preserved the astronomical learning of ancient Greece and made improvements on it. The English names of many of the brightest stars in the heavens are Arabic in origin. The name of the supergiant star Rigel, for example, comes from the Arabic word for "foot" (the foot of the constellation Orion, that is). Some other important stars whose names are Arabic include Aldebaran, "the one following (the Pleiades)"; Betelgeuse, "hand of Orion"; Deneb, "tail" (of the constellation Cygnus, the swan); and Altair, "the flying eagle" (in the constellation Aquila, the eagle). The names of other stars are usually Greek or Latin, such as Antares or Sirius, as are the names of the constellations. The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved. Rigel in Technology Expand A database language? Based on Pascal . Listed by M.P. Atkinson & J.W.

Schmidt in a tutorial presented in Zurich, 1989. (1994-10-28) Rigel - definition of Rigel by The Free Dictionary Rigel - definition of Rigel by The Free Dictionary Also found in: Thesaurus , Encyclopedia , Wikipedia . Ri·gel A bright binary star in the constellation Orion, approximately 815 light years from Earth. [Arabic rijl, foot; see rgl in the Appendix of Semitic roots.] Rigel (ˈraɪdʒəl; ˈraɪɡəl) n (Celestial Objects) the brightest star, Beta Orionis, in the constellation Orion: a very luminous and extremely remote bluish-white supergiant, a double star. Visual magnitude: 0.12; spectral type: B8I [C16: from Arabic rijl foot; from its position in Orion's foot] Ri•gel a first-magnitude star in the constellation Orion. [1585–95; < Arabic rijl foot] Ri·gel (rī′jəl) A very bright, bluish-white star in the constellation Orion. It is a supergiant.

Word History The history of astronomy owes much to Arabic scientists of the Middle Ages, who preserved the astronomical learning of ancient Greece and made improvements on it. The English names of many of the brightest stars in the heavens are Arabic in origin. The name of the supergiant star Rigel, for example, comes from the Arabic word for "foot" (the foot of the constellation Orion, that is). Some other important stars whose names are Arabic include Aldebaran, "the one following (the Pleiades)"; Betelgeuse, "hand of Orion"; Deneb, "tail" (of the constellation Cygnus, the swan); and Altair, "the flying eagle" (in the constellation Aquila, the eagle). The names of other stars are usually Greek or Latin, such as Antares or Sirius, as are the names of the constellations. ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Question: In which constellation is the star Rigel?
Answer: Orion